24 Jul 2024 | Professional golf |
Day anoints next Aussie world No.1
by Tony Webeck
He is one of only three Australian men to reach the summit of the Official World Golf Rankings and Jason Day believes he has identified the next Aussie No.1.
Day returned home to Ohio on the back of his tie for 13th at The Open Championship at Royal Troon but we will be back in Europe next week to make his Olympic Games debut at Le Golf National.
He will be joined in the Australian team by reigning BMW Australian PGA champion Min Woo Lee, who will celebrate his 26th birthday the day after attending the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on Friday.
A three-time winner on the DP World Tour and one of world golf’s most magnetic personalities, Lee has the game that can take him to the very top of world golf, according to Day.
“He’s an amazing player,” said Day, the world No.1 for 51 weeks.
“I met him when he was a young junior player a while back, I think in 2016 or 2017, something like that.
“I’ve always kind of kept up with his career, especially when he played on the European Tour, now he plays on the PGA Tour.
“Hits it a long way, has a tremendous short game, and he’s a good putter.
“The good thing about him is he’s young. Once he starts to develop all the other parts of his game, he’s probably, I would say, our next best Australian player to try and get to No.1, just because of the talent.”
Sitting just five spots behind Day at No.36 in the world rankings, Lee is one win from assuming the mantle as Australia’s highest-ranked male golfer.
Given he was a teenager playing the Junior Interstate Series for Western Australia when Adam Scott and Jason Day were fighting it out at The Masters in 2013, it is rarefied air that Lee is just now becoming accustomed to breathing.
“To think that I can now call Adam Scott and Jason Day friends is amazing,” said Lee, who missed the cut at Royal Troon.
“They’ve been amazing. We always try to play practice rounds and stuff.
“It’d be amazing to be the top-ranked player in the world from Australia. That’d be very special.
“Still feel like I’m a kid, but our goal is to be the best player in the world.
“If that comes, to represent Australia and be the No.1 would be a very special and proud moment.”
Both Day and Lee will make their Olympic debuts in Paris, Lee to be joined by older sister Minjee in representing the green and gold.
Minjee is already a two-time Olympian, Min Woo thrilled that he will join such an illustrious group.
“Like anything we do as brother and sister, it’s very special,” he said.
“My sister has been in every event and every team event for Australia so she’s just been waiting on me.
“I guess time has come which is very exciting for the family.”
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